Today’s journey into the great unknown led us to the city of Aqrah. At this point it seems redundant to say it was a nice little town nestled in the mountains; nearly every town in northern Kurdistan comfortably fits this description. In this respect there wasn’t much that made it stand out, except for a clear path to the top of a mountain with AWESOME views. You could see for miles: rolling hills; rugged terrain; elevated houses; meandering roads; and a random donkey solemnly attached to a lonely post.
As you will see in this picture, I have a new hat called a Jemadani. Turbans are common across Muslim cultures, and this one is the Kurdish style. Given that blondes with blue eyes are about as common as giant dragons here, Paige is usually subject to the most indiscreet gawking; however, armed with my new Jemadani, I believe that the oddity that was my outfit evened the playing field. At times it seems as if the two of us were a walking tourist attraction. In most places drawing that much attention, even without the hat, would make me feel uneasy, but not here. The people are truly so amicable and benevolent that you feel nothing but the absolute best of intentions.
Another example of this is that we were invited to a village to have lunch with one of our ESL students, Aras. The spread that lay before us consisted of two rice dishes, each topped with chicken and lamb; Kurdish version of salad; chickpea and onion soup; vegetable soup; olives; and fresh bread. In the houses that I have been to there have not been any kitchen tables so we all sit around the food which is centrally placed on a mat. It is convenient in the sense that everyone has equal access to all dishes, and it is accommodating for large numbers; however, after a while it can be quite uncomfortable if you are not accustomed to sitting cross-legged for extended periods. After lunch the trays of food kept on coming. Chai tea soon follows the meal and a tray of dessert is close behind. I have been regulating my portion sizes quite well, but one visit to a family will change all of that. Before you have completed your first dish the second helping is being piled on, and I have come to realize that, “No, thank you, I am full,” roughly translates to, “Oh my God, please give me more.” It was a delicious meal which inevitably led to a sedated state of food coma.
This particular household had 14 people living there. There were so many children running around it could have easily been mistaken as an after school program. It seemed as if every time one of them left a room, they promptly entered a cloning machine and then re-entered with their new counterpart. Paige and I sat there as the centers of attention in a room filled with over 20 people, only two of which spoke English. Positively, we could say whatever wanted knowing full well that nobody could understand us if we spoke quickly enough; contrarily, this left some moments where we were both left not really sure what to do except smile and nod. Despite obvious communication barriers, it was never really awkward and the atmosphere was light hearted and fun. Whereas in the US we depart from home at age 18, here you typically stay until you are married, and even then it is no guarantee that you will embark on your own. Financially, this saves a great deal of money and I have consistently found that these large households all pool their income together, jointly increasing their purchasing power. It is entirely a collective effort. These methods draw many questions in my mind as I consistently want to ask: How do you deal with a financially irresponsible family member? What happens if someone draws more money out of your collective holdings than they contribute? How do you decide on large purchases? For an American who has a laser-like focus on personal finances, it would be incredibly difficult for me to live in this system. However, it seems to work for them quite well. As I continue to learn more I will undoubtedly want to write about this financial collectivity again.
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